Witch Hunt
by Michelle167
Summary: Kaidan deals with his own fallout as Shepard goes to trial...beginning of ME3.


Witch Hunt

It's been a long time since I was inspired to write a fanfic for Mass Effect. This idea came from a recent spoiler for Mass Effect 3. Can't say it was the easiest piece to write...for one thing I'm rusty...I think it's been close to a year since I wrote anything. I wasn't too satisfied with my first draft either, but I hated to just toss it aside after I had taken so much time to write it out, so I decided to plow through and do the best I could..

It features Kaidan with Anderson, Joker, Shepard, and EDI. Takes place at the beginning of ME3. It isn't a dark fic and doesn't have a twist and is unlike what I've written in the past and it went in a direction I didn't expect. There's a little bit of Shenko. People might wonder why I didn't include a confrontation between Shep and Kaidan about Horizon. I thought about it but it just didn't seem to work with where the thing was going.

Kaidan's world unravels as Shepard's trial takes place.

Note: If you're wondering about he crazy pound signs I was having issues with editor...did the best I could..hope it serves it's purpose.

I do not own Bioware...if I had...there'd be more Kaidan...without his shirt.

#

" Are you sure you want to do this?" It was rare that Kaidan heard concern in Joker's voice.

"We have no choice," Kaidan answered.

"But EDI is safer here than out there right now," Joker countered.

Because of his physical limitations the only place Joker felt free was when he was at the helm of a ship. It had been that way with the original Normandy and was the same with the new model...but Kaidan had noticed that he had become even more attached to the new ship because of EDI.

"But we're not safe...especially Shepard," Kaidan answered, "Don't worry we won't let anything happen to EDI."

"Commander Alenko is right Jeff...if something happens to Commander Shepard we have no guarantees that I will be any safer with the Alliance than with Cerberus." EDI's smooth voice filled the bridge, sounding louder than normal due to the emptiness of the ship. The majority of the crew had been removed upon docking and except for Commander Shepard and a handful of exceptions no one was aloud on board until further notice. The Normandy was on lock down.

Unsatisfied, the concerned pilot plunged ahead, "And what about you, Kaidan...what do you think the Alliance will do to you if they find out that your helping Shepard again?"

"Nothing they haven't already done," he mumbled.

Ignoring the comment, Joker continued.

"I would rather be out there in the open sky than sitting here in a dusty Alliance docking bay more than anyone, but the Illusive Man is out for blood...and if he gets EDI we'll all be grounded...permanently."

His pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as Kaidan checked the ship's fuel gages. They read at half capacity.

" When did you become so cautious, Joker? I've never known you to be one to weigh through the options."

"And I've never known you to barrel ahead without thinking something through," Joker countered.

Kaidan got the picture. This was a new ship...Joker's ship and Kaidan was still an outsider. Without Shepard here to make the final call Joker felt like it was his duty to protect it.

"I did think it through and maybe it won't come to this...maybe we won't have to make a run for it, but for now I think we need to be prepared just in case...there are reasons...good reasons." he answered.

"Care to share them?" asked Joker.

Kaidan bowed his head slightly...how could he explain?

#

"I wouldn't be doing this if it were anyone other than you and Commander Shepard," Admiral Anderson stated.

Kaidan noticed the haggard, hollow look beneath the older man's eyes. He could swear he saw lines on his face he hadn't seen just days ago.

Admiral...I don't think I can do this...I mean this goes against everything that I..." Kaidan started.

"...that you believe in...come on Alenko...it's not like you've not broken the rules before...more than once...and this...we've done this before...I was right there with you and Shepard when you stole the Normandy from the citadel before Ilos. If you don't do this it will be the end...trust me on that...this trial is a sham...it's nothing but a witch hunt."

The pleading in the man's eyes was not something Kaidan had seen before and not something he wanted to see again.

"The justice system..." Kaidan tried again.

"...has become corrupt," Anderson finished, "You know how the Alliance has changed over the last couple of years. We've been strained...we've cut corners...and we've done things I'm not proud of...we're not the military we once were."

And there it was...out in the open. Kaidan had served the Alliance faithfully since Shepard's death without thought to the changes that were taking place. He had held on to the glory of the past...when the serving the Alliance could be looked on as a badge of honor...as something to be proud of. He had ignored the rumblings...the rumors... the evidence of shady dealings...and the decisions that were made regardless of protocol, rules and regulations. Fair trials were a thing of the past and he knew it...they both knew it.

"Okay...fine...let's say I agree to this...explain to me why it's so urgent?"

Kaidan grasped for any straw to remain in the status quo. He had been the model soldier. He had kept his mouth shut at the things he had seen, turned his back when he hadn't approved. Part of him still believed he could make a difference...that with time and position he could change things from within...put things back on the right track. Besides the Alliance was all he had left...Shepard was no longer a sure thing. Giving up the one stable thing in his life did not come easily.

Anderson sighed and shook his head, "You've used the Alliance as a security blanket for too long, Alenko."

"What?" Kaidan was dumbfounded.

"You feel safe within the confines of the rules and regulations because deep down inside you're not sure that you could control yourself without them...you're not even sure who you would be without the Alliance...but I'm afraid you're about to find out...You have no choice in the matter."

Kaidan could feel his anger rising. "What the hell does that mean?"

"The brass has already made a decision...not just with Shepard...but with you...Kaidan, I'm sorry...orders have come down...they're stripping you of your rank and discharging you from the Alliance."

Kaidan felt the bottom drop out from under him.

"Discharging me!...for one bleeding infraction...that's ridiculous!" He could feel the hair on the back of his neck tingle as the rage began to build.

Anderson lowered his head avoiding Kaidan's blaring gaze.

"And I'm afraid it's a dishonorable discharge...I argued against it, but you know the way things are run now and unfortunately, it's only going to get worse...your testimony at the trial didn't help matters," Anderson continued.

"That's what this is about isn't it...my testimony...isn't it! It happened over two years ago..they can't discharge me for that...can they?" Kaidan's voice started to shake...he could feel his biotics beginning to hum. He felt like blowing a hole in the wall.

"You incriminated yourself Kaidan...they think you were in this with Shepard all along...I'm sorry, but there's no going back." The sadness in Anderson's voice calmed Kaidan and the tingling throughout his body started to subside.

"No chance they'll change their minds?" Kaidan asked hopefully.

Anderson shook his head.

Kaidan paused in disbelief. Except for Shepard, the Alliance had been the only thing in his life that mattered. He had buried himself in it when he thought Shepard was dead and had clung to it after Horizon...just to silence the nagging doubts he had about not joining her on her mission. Perhaps Anderson was right...he had used it as a type of security...and now it was gone, but he didn't have Shepard either. He had not found the courage to approach her since Horizon, and she had not sought him out. She was no longer a sure thing, and without the Alliance to anchor him Kaidan was feeling vulnerable.

"So...I'm guilty through association then."

He let out a sarcastic laugh as he realized that history kept repeating itself. It seemed that every time he grasped some sort of happiness...some sort of stability it was ripped out from under him and his world came crashing to the ground. It had been that way with his relationships, first Rhana, then Shepard and now it was the same thing with his career. Where could he go...what could he possibly do?

"Kaidan, the two of you need to leave and quickly," Anderson pressed, "take what I'm offering and get out of here."

"And go where?" Kaidan stated flatly, "Sir, the Alliance is all I know."

"For now, go with Shepard...this mess with the Reapers isn't over...she'll need your expertise...she won't turn you down no matter what may have transpired between the two of you, and after it's over...if everything is still standing...you'll find your way...trust me...you'll adjust."

The advice was sound, but Kaidan had a hard time accepting it. He fully believed that he would be just as lost in the end as he was at that very moment.

The aging Admiral attempted a weak smile, " For now this will keep you busy...keep your mind off things."

Kaidan couldn't argue with that. He nodded in agreement.

"Admiral...Why the urgency...the trial has just gotten underway?"

A deep shadow passed over the older man's face and his shoulders slumped.

"The trial is a sham...they intend to convict her of treason...it's a done deal...sentence to be carried out within 3 days of the verdict..." Anderson looked uncomfortable as though he were only telling half the story.

"And..." Kaidan urged him to continue.

"The sentence is public execution by firing squad."

Kaidan felt his world go dark.

#

"Let's just say that if we stay Shepard will die."

Kaidan looked at Joker with the most somber expression he could muster.

He had to admit Anderson had been right. Focusing on the task at hand helped to put his problems out of his mind. Even if helping Shepard didn't lead to her heart, perhaps it would at least lead to her safety.

"What...you kidding me...who would kill the Commander...Oh, God has the Illusive Man already got his operatives here?" asked Joker.

"I wouldn't doubt it...but Cerberus isn't the one gunning for Shepard right now," he answered.

"Then who is?" Joker asked, inquisitively.

"Alliance brass," Kaidan affirmed.

Joker let out a laugh.

"You've finally lost it...I always knew you were a little unstable with all that "I will destroy you" nonsense...but come on...the Alliance brass taking out Commander Shepard...no way!"

"Listen, Joker...they've changed...they're not the same Alliance they were when you were in the service. They do things differently now. They were already changing when they refused to let you fly anymore...I can guarantee that if you had stayed the punishment would have only gotten worse."

Joker's smile slowly disappeared as he studied Kaidan's face.

"You're serious," he said.

"Yeah...I am...the Alliance is kinda through with fairness...even the tiniest infraction can dispense harsher than necessary punishment."

He didn't need to explain further...he had Joker's full attention. He could see it on his face.

"Can I ask how you know they want to kill her?"

"Anderson told me," Kaidan answered.

"Anderson?"

Joker knew Anderson well enough to know he was not the type to joke or make things up. If he said that something was a certain way, then that was the way it was.

"Damn...who would have believed it. Okay, Kaidan...I believe you...no more arguing. Let's get EDI fueled up and ready to go. As soon as a we can get Shepard on board, we'll take to the open skies."

The familiar sound of Joker whistling as he checked the ships gauges woke Kaidan to the fact that the pilot hadn't been so opposed to leaving in the first place. He just needed a viable reason to risk EDI being captured by Cerberus. The possibility of losing Commander Shepard served as the best possible excuse...a thought that brought Kaidan's mind back to Shepard's current plight.

"EDI?" Kaidan asked.

"Yes, Commander Alenko?"

"Can you get me a feed of the trial...so I can hear what's going on?" he asked.

"Oh, EDI can do better than that." Joker interrupted, beaming with pride, "Show him EDI."

Sounds of various commentators filled the air, as a hologram of the comings and goings of multiple news organizations spread across the bridge. At first the figures appeared ghostly, but after a couple of seconds they seemed to solidify.

"Damn," Kaidan muttered, "That's better that the VI on the Citadel."

"Told you she was something," Joker commented proudly.

"Thank you Jeff," EDI replied.

Kaidan looked at Joker with a wry grin on his face, " Are you two flirting?"

"What?" Joker uneasily looked back at the fuel gages. It was the first time Kaidan had seen the pilot blush.

After a few minutes the tension over Joker's obvious infatuation with the ships AI dissipated and his and EDI's bantering restarted. Some type of atmospheric interference had weakened the signal and she and Joker were arguing about where it was coming from.  
>It reminded Kaidan of the spirited discussions Joker used to have with Ashley. If the exchange had not made him feel nostalgic for the past he would have laughed. They sounded like an old married couple. As he tuned them out, his mind began to drift, finding it's way toward and settling on the events transpiring just 2 days ago. Kaidan once again found himself in the courtroom hot seat.<p>

#

"Would you please state your name for the court?"

The woman was tall...not quite as tall as Shepard, but tall none-the-less. Her skin was unusually pale. Kaidan wondered if she lived in one of the more polluted districts of Earth or if the paleness was because she spent most of her time indoors. He could imagine her losing herself pouring over numerous files in order to destroy the accused...unfortunately in this case that was Commander Shepard. The tight grimace that stretched across her thin lips was plastered with dark red lipstick that made it too closely resemble a bloody knife.

"She's going for the kill," he thought.

Immediately, Kaidan decided he didn't like Prosecutor Crawley.

"Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko."

Kaidan let out a silent inner sigh. He would rather be in the field on a mission than in a courtroom. If this had not been for Shepard he would have declined to be a character witness, but he couldn't let her down...not after what had happened on Horizon. Maybe by testifying, she could see how much he still cared, how he was still willing to stand beside her even if she couldn't forgive him...even if she was over him.

"And how do you know the defendant?"

"She was my commanding officer aboard the SSV Normandy," he answered.

"And at the time you were a Lieutenant?" she asked.

Kaidan's mind began to wander. He had avoided looking at Shepard since she had entered the courtroom. Simply put...he was afraid. Somehow he was sure she had moved on, and after Horizon he couldn't blame her. How could he explain without looking like a complete idiot? If she had only known that five minutes after he had walked away he had regretted it...that he had almost turned around and searched her out before the Normandy could leave orbit...would it have made a difference?

Kaidan winced at the thought that he could abandon his principals so easily for love, but Shepard was no ordinary woman...she was the one...and he had given himself to her...heart, body, and soul. Had she ever felt the same way about him? He had tried to make amends the best way he knew how but to no avail...Shepard hadn't bothered to respond to his e-mail nor had she contacted him since their falling out. He felt he had been a fool, and he could no longer look her in the eye.

"Commander, Alenko!" The prosecutor looked flustered. Kaidan had obviously wandered too deeply into his thoughts...an act that seemed to greatly displease his interrogator. His answer had simply not been fast enough.

"Yes, I was a Lieutenant." Kaidan answered quickly.

A snicker erupted from the small audience that was attending the trial which was quickly followed by a call for order from the judge.

Joker?

"Great," thought Kaidan, "All I need is more fuel for the fodder with him."

"Commander Alenko, How would you describe Commander Shepard's performance when you were serving under her aboard the Normandy?"

Prosecutor Crawley had regained her composure.

Kaidan could hear Joker's stifled laughter which was quickly brought under control before the judge could call for order again. He made a mental note to find the irreverent pilot later and strangle him.

"She was professional...a little unconventional at times...but she got the job done when other didn't," Kaidan confessed.

The prosecution wanted to paint Shepard as a maverick...a rebellious soldier that refused to follow orders. The defense wasn't going to argue against it. What they wanted to do was to spin it...to declare that Shepard's character traits were a good thing...that her unconventional way of doing things almost always led to her getting jobs done that other couldn't do...that she was an asset and a hero...not a liability and certainly not a traitor. With the defense attorney's approval, Kaidan had agreed to try his best to paint Shepard's method's in a positive light even if he didn't always agree with them.

It's something he wouldn't have done when she had first returned from the dead. In shock...filled with anger and confusion, he wasn't even sure she was the real Shepard. Cerberus was capable of anything. His heart wanted to run to her, but his head didn't trust what he was seeing.  
>Those doubts had even plagued him when he had sent her an e-mail.<p>

"Do you even remember that night before Ilos? " he had wrote.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps she didn't, that perhaps she hadn't even been there...that she was not the real Shepard at all.

Her lack of a reply only fueled his suspicions, until the news of Harbinger's destruction surfaced. It was then that Kaidan knew his fears were unfounded...no one but the real Shepard could've pulled it off. Why had he doubted?

"Did you agree with the decisions Commander Shepard made during your stay aboard the Normandy?" Crawley asked.

"I doubt anyone agrees with everything their commanding officer decides...we can offer advice, but in the end it's their decision...my job was to follow orders." Kaidan shifted in his chair.

He was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable. What if he wound up hurting her case more than helping?

"So you would say that...to the best of your memory... you probably didn't agree with every decision that Commander Shepard made?"

Crawley's expression didn't change...tight unsmiling lips...narrowed eyes.

To Kaidan the woman was starting to resemble a Geth coming up on his blindside...he knew she was going to strike, but he was helpless to prevent it, because she was out of his line of sight.

"I don't remember the specifics but yes, there were probably a few decisions I didn't agree with, but in the end it didn't matter...as I said she always got the job done...if she had done things my way none of us might be alive today."

Kaidan could feel his voice rising as well as a twinge of his biotic pulse. The woman was getting on his nerves. A slight pain began to converge in his frontal lobe.

"Great...a headache," he thought, "Just what I don't need."

"What about the decision she made to leave behind gunnery chief Ashley Williams on Virmire...did you agree with that decision?"

Kaidan felt his blood turn to ice. Looking at the Prosecutor, he could swear her tight little mouth was stretched into a hideous smile. For the first time Kaidan let down his guard and glanced at Shepard. Her face said everything...he was convinced that she wore the same expression that he felt plastered across his own...guilt. Ashley had been a friend, not just another soldier stationed on the Normandy. Kaidan realized things were about to turn ugly.

"No," Kaidan's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Could you repeat that, Commander Alenko...for the rest of the court to hear?" Crawley said dramatically, gesturing to cameras as much as to the audience.

"No," he repeated, "but we were in a situation where there was no way there wouldn't be causalities. Gunnery Chief Williams wasn't the only one to die that day."

Kaidan pushed back his emotions in an attempt to get a handle on the situation. He thought his answer had been successful and relaxed a little bit. Little did he know it was only the calm before the storm.

"That is true, Commander Alenko...there were quite a few casualties that day...Chief Williams was certainly not the only one...you are right about that. But she was the only one to die based on a direct decision by Commander Shepard."

Crawley's voice drifted out of Kaidan's attention as he puzzled over just what this woman's angle was. She could hammer on the point that Shepard's leadership had caused numerous soldiers to die on Virmire, but for some reason she was fixated only on Ashley.

"What is it that she's after, " he wondered.

His head began to pound even harder.

"So, Commander Alenko would you agree that because Commander Shepard chose to save you that day, rather than Chief Williams, that you naturally feel indebted to her, and that any assessment of her character by you is going to be bias?" Crawley's expression seemed to have morphed into that of a snake.

"Wait...no, I wouldn't agree...Commander Shepard protected the bomb...without that Saren would have succeeded with his plans and once again we might not be here today. I just happened to be the one at the bomb...but then I was the one with tech training...not Ash...if it had been the other way around she'd be sitting here and I'd be dead. Shepard made the right call."

He had been so obvious in his disagreement with her over that decision because of his own guilt that he was sure the shock registered on his face as he now defended her. Deep down inside he had agreed with her decision all along...simply because it had been the right one...the logical one. For the first time he could feel himself letting go of his guilt over Ash's death.

"So you're changing your answer on Shepard's Virmire decision...you agree with her then?" she asked.

"Yes," Kaidan stated clearly, " I agree with the decision Commander Shepard made that day...it was the logical choice."

"Oh...I see...I didn't want to have to do this, but you've left me no choice...When you were stationed on the Normandy did you and Commander Shepard at any time engage in sexual relations?"

The light danced in Prosecutor Crawley's eyes. Upon close examination one could see that she was enjoying chewing up her opponent.

Kaidan froze...he felt as if he didn't have a breath left in him...in fact it felt as if the whole world had stopped. He was back on the Normandy. It was the night before Ilos and he and Shepard had given into temptation. He wouldn't have given that night up for anything in the world, but now it was possibly about to be exposed for all the world to see. He couldn't answer...the words wouldn't come. His headache began to scream.

"Your honor...I don't see what this line of questioning has to do with Commander Alenko's assessment of Commander Shepard's character?" The young defense lawyer had immediately come to Kaidan's aid, but was quickly shot down.

"I will allow it...I think I see where Prosecutor Crawley is going with this," The judge nodded to Crawley, "Please continue Prosecutor Crawley."

"Thank you, your honor...Answer the question Commander Alenko...did you and Commander Shepard at anytime during your stay on the Normandy engage in sexual relations?"

The question felt like a dagger twisting into Kaidan's side. How would this make Shepard look? How would the Alliance brass react?

He had no choice...he was under oath.

"Yes." The word fell out of Kaidan's mouth like the bomb exploding on Virmire...it felt like the end.

Prosecutor Crawley ignored the murmuring crowd and continued.

"Commander Alenko, this relationship...was this a casual thing or was it serious?"

Even Crawley's catlike movement's were filled with glee.

Kaidan stared blankly into space. He saw nothing...not the crowd...not Shepard...not Anderson...not the cameras...not even Crawley...just a dark emptiness bearing down on his soul.

"Objection!"

"Overruled!"

The words dimly registered in his consciousness as the defense attorney continued to try and bring the situation under control but to no avail.

He was on the edge...he could feel it...his head was blaring...his biotics surging. With as much self control as he could muster, he answered the question.

"I can't speak for Commander Shepard...but for me...yeah, it was serious."

The confession freed him from some of the tension and he felt his biotics retreat leaving him feeling somewhat drained of life.

"I see...Would you say that you were in love with Commander Shepard?" she asked.

"I said it was serious...so yes, I was in love with her," he answered somewhat annoyed.

"Are you still in love with her?" she asked.

The question shocked him...of all the questions he had imagined being asked during the trial this was not one of them. His present personal feelings and private life were none of anyone elses business. He felt like a fool, but he had no choice but to answer.

"Yes, I still love her."

Crawley turned to the judge and jury.

" I motion that the testimony of Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko on behalf of Commander Shepard's character be stricken from the record due to bias based upon the personal nature of his relationship with his former Commanding officer."

"Agreed," answered the judge.

Nodding to the defense attorney, "Do you have any questions of this witness?"

"No your honor."

Kaidan barely heard the disappointment in the defense attorney's voice as he was dismissed. Leaving the courtroom he numbly walked to his quarters oblivious to the cameras flashing around him. He barely registered the words being reported that the trial would recess for a couple of days until they could get the "circus" under control."

#

"What's with the broody, unshaven, dark mysterious look?" Joker asked.

"Huh." Kaidan shook off the memory of the courtroom scene as he realized he was still aboard the Normandy.

"What are you talking about?" Kaidan asked puzzled.

"You know...the peach fuzz on your face...you keep growing it like that and before you know it...you'll look like me."

Kaidan laughed. Joker had an easy way of making him feel like nothing had changed over the last two years.

"I knew I should have brought my razor."

"Hey, I'll have you know that the ladies happen to love my facial hair," Joker shot back as he stroked is beard.

"I seriously doubt the girls on the extranet websites you visit are called ladies," Kaidan replied.

"They have their own names...There's Tiny Tina, Hooter Hallie, Candy Cane..."

EDI began to run down what seemed to be an endless list of female names.

"EDI!...you don't have to tell everything." Joker interjected.

Kaidan tried, but could not stifle his laughter.

"Besides I don't think our dear Kaidan would be interested in the sites I visit...no Asari business women," he said smugly.

"That was a long time ago, Joker," Kaidan said seriously.

"Yeah... I know, there's only one person you're interested in now." Joker rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"And everyone knows," Kaidan admitted.

"Yeah...I think that whole "keeping it quite" thing is pretty much blown," Joker added.

"Now that you mention it...were you at the trial the day I testified?"

Kaidan recalled filing a certain mental note about Joker being due a strangulation.

"Who me?...EDI how's the fuel coming?"

Joker quickly changed the subject, but not before Kaidan had gently popped him upside the head.

"Ouch!..that hurt!" he protested, "I'm fragile you know."

"Your bones maybe...but your head is as hard as a brick...besides you're due," Kaidan joked.

"Refueling should be complete in approximately 10 minutes."

"And Commander," EDI continued, " I think that there is something you should hear...one of the commentators is giving his assessment of the trial."

The hologram began to refocus on a lone reporter as his commentary begin to pour over the com.

#

"According to inside sources, Commander Shepard may be facing the possibility of public execution by firing squad if she is found guilty of treason. Many have dismissed claims that the savior of the citadel was somehow resurrected from the dead after the tragic incident aboard the SSV Normandy and believe that Commander Shepard may have simply gone AWOL by joining the nefarious organization known as Cerberus."

"Known as a maverick among her contemporaries, Commander Shepard has been known to cut corners, defy orders, and argue with her superiors. In the past those things had been tolerated due to the fact that this illustrius officer got the job done where others failed. Serving as dedicated member of the Alliance, she was celebrated as a jewel in the crown of human military achievement. Some experts now believe that Commander Shepard may have joined Cerberus because of the lax rules which allowed her to do as she pleased without supervision."

"Crap!"

Joker looked dumbfounded at the hologram.

"Looks like the press may be helping the Alliance brass to put their own spin on this," Kaidan muttered. He could feel a dark cloud of gloominess settling over his mood.

"Glad to see you don't believe it," Joker replied.

"Of course, I don't believe it," Kaidan responded.

"But back on Horizon..." Joker started.

"On Horizon," Kaidan interrupted, " I was in shock...that's all I can say...I...I wasn't even sure if she was the real Shepard then...wasn't even sure until I heard that she had taken down Harbinger...only the real Commander Shepard could do that."

"Are you saying that it didn't cross your mind that she might be a traitor...that she might have willingly joined Cerberus?" asked Joker.

"You willingly joined Cerberus...doesn't make you a traitor...just an idiot." Kaidan's tone turned to one of jest.

The change of mood wasn't lost on Joker.

" Okay, Yeah...I get it...I guess that wasn't one of my better decisions...but I did at least get EDI."

Kaidan smiled slightly, "Okay, point taken...some good came out of it."

"Thank you, Commander Alenko," EDI replied.

"You're welcome EDI," Kaidan responded.

Because of his tech background Kaidan had a unique perspective on AI...one that many of his contemporaries shared...that peaceful co-existence with AI was possible. It wasn't a view that he shared openly, but he was glad that EDI was a prime example of what could be, and he had to admit it to himself...he liked her. She knew how to keep Joker in line.

"So...Shepard is an idiot," Joker said grinning.

"I didn't say that!...I said you were one...Shepard was just desperate...she had no choice."

"Do you think they'll believe that?" Joker asked nodding back to the hologram.

They turned their attention back to the commentator.

"One interesting note has been the recent revelations that Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko...Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko when he served under Commander Shepard..."

"served under..." Joker muttered as he let out a half snicker-half snort.

"Shut up!" Once again Kaidan gently slapped Joker upside the head.

"Ouch...will you stop that!" Joker complained.

"had a sexual relationship with his commanding officer. Alliance fraternization regulations strictly forbid such behavior. This is just another example of Commander Shepard's disregard for the rules. This new scandal has prompted several experts to speculate that Commander Alenko must have known more about Shepard's defection than he has to this point been willing to reveal."

"What?" Kaidan could feel a knot beginning in the middle of his stomach.

"According to inside sources the affair was in full swing when the SSV Normandy was destroyed. If Commander Shepard used the destruction of the SSV Normandy as a cover and an opportunity to defect to the Cerberus organization why did her lover not join her where they could continue their relationship out from under the watchful eye of Alliance rules and regulations."

"To be fair, we must point out that Commander Shepard has not yet confirmed Commander Alenko's claim that the two of them did indeed have a sexual relationship. If the claim is confirmed, inside sources say that a second trial will soon follow...the defendant none other than Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko himself. For obvious reasons we cannot reveal his identity, but recently, we interviewed an Alliance espionage expert who said, " There is no way he didn't know...mounting evidence even suggests that Commander Alenko only stayed behind to work as a mole within the Alliance and that he passed along sensitive information to Cerberus through his illicit visits with Commander Shepard. He's as guilty of treason as she is and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Justice must be served."

And there it was...the underlying reason for Anderson's urgency...it wasn't just Shepard they intended to be rid of...Kaidan was a target as well...and where did it stop? Joker...Dr. Chakwas...Anderson himself. They were out for blood. Shepard had embarrassed them by succeeding in her mission while working with Cerberus...they were not going to forgive her even if she came willingly.

"How can this be happening?" Kaidan thought.

Kaidan stepped back in shocked silence. Just 3 months ago he had been talking to Hackett about his future. The brass had been pleased with him and had full confidence in him that one day he would be an Admiral and now he was a spy for Cerberus. Where did it all go wrong?

"Man, I thought I knew you...but this...wow...so I guess we're both idiots," Joker laughed.

"Remind me to kill you once this is all over." Kaidan glared hard at him.

"I have a feeling that I may forget to do that," Joker replied, sarcastically.

"Seriously, Joker...We need to start the sequence to break the lock down."

"You think they'll follow your orders after that little show without calling the brass...after that I wouldn't be surprised they report you for refueling the ship."

It was at that moment Kaidan realized how far Anderson had gone out of his way to save him and Shepard.

"I didn't refuel the ship," Kaidan confessed.

"What?" Joker looked puzzled.

"Commander Edwards did...Anderson forged the orders...I just sent them in," Kaidan explained.

"Why would you have to have forged papers to refuel the Normandy?"

"Because I've been stripped of my rank and command...they've discharged me from the Alliance...a dishonorable discharge at that."

Kaidan was surprised at how easy the words came...he was already letting go.

"Your serious...they booted you out...Man...what hope was for the rest of us..you did everything by the book." Joker responded.

"Not everything," Kaidan confessed.

Realization dawned on Joker's face, "Oh...Yeah...I see...so Anderson knew how bad this was?"

"Evidently...although he left out a lot...he at least got everything we need to get out of here...even the lock down codes," Kaidan answered.

"Deja vu," Joker muttered.

"Yeah, Deja vu," Kaidan agreed.

"Commander Alenko...The trial has resumed. I'm sorry but the reception has weakened. I am still having problems with interference," EDI stated.

The hologram had lost it's solid look and had reverted back to ghostly forms, but it was enough.

"It's fine EDI." Kaidan replied.

The screen panned to Crawley...making Kaidan's skin crawl.

"Now that is one creepy woman...but boy does she have big..." Joker began.

"Jeff.." EDI interrupted.

"What...I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

Joker threw his hands up in exasperation.

"You should be sitting two feet from her." Kaidan stated.

His thoughts were more about the deadness of her face than the size of her attributes.

"Can you see down her blouse?'' asked Joker.

"Jeff!" EDI's voice rose as much as an AI could...giving it an eerie human quality.

"What Mom...I was just saying that there's a silver lining to everything or at least there should be," Joker stabbed back.

Kaidan was actually glad for the light hearted levity...the gloom that had settled over him had begun to drain him. His attention moved back to the trial as Joker and EDI continued in their unusual exchange.

#

The chair that Kaidan had sat in just two days ago was now occupied by Shepard herself.

Kaidan was grateful to have the opportunity to observe without her knowing that he was watching. His eyes locked onto her face. Beneath the steely exterior, the twinkle in her eyes betrayed the softness within. He knew he was lucky to be one of the few to be privy to it. Gazing at her features he found himself drawn to her lips...even fascinated with them. He wanted to kiss her...to take her in his arms an never let go. Perhaps it was a good thing the hologram had gone ghostly, otherwise he might have reached out to take hold.

Despite her commanding resolve, Kaidan could tell she was nervous. It was the way she played with her hands that gave it away. Kaidan smiled. The first time he had noticed, he had told her that she would make a terrible poker player. She had feigned offense and challenged him to a game of strip poker to which he had declined. He had still been in a place of indecision at the time. The battlefield flirting had become a game and although he sometimes won the battle, he was slowly losing the war. He was falling in love, but he was still afraid to cross the finish line. He knew if he did there would be no return.  
>Looking at her now he knew he'd never really be over her...no matter how hard he tried.<p>

"Please state your name for the record."

Prosecutor Crawley paced in front of Shepard like a lion ready to pounce.

"Commander Elena Ann Shepard...or maybe that's just Ms. Shepard now."

"Yes, that's right...you're no longer with the Alliance...so if it's alright with you I'll refer to you as Ms. Shepard."

Shepard nodded in agreement.

"Ms. Shepard, I don't want to waste the courts time...and I'm sure you don't either, so I'd like to resume with the line of questioning that I was following with your associate, Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko at our last session." Crawley begin.

"As I recall his testamony was stricken from the record," Shepard interrupted.

There was no question as to the air of her authority. Kaidan could sense it even through the hologram. Crawley could address Shepard as a civilian all she wanted...it was the Commander that sat in the courtroom.

"His assessment of your character was stricken. The details of his time on the Normandy are still on record...There are just few things the court needs confirmed, Ms. Shepard."

Crawley attempted a smile which came across as cold as ice on camera. She was visibly shaken by Shepard's empowered presence.

"Commander Alenko stated that you chose to save him rather than Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams at Virmire. Can you tell me what you based that decision on?" Crawley crossed her arms waiting for the answer.

"It's like the Commander said. We needed to keep the bomb secured until we could detonate it. The mission depended on it. If I could have gone back for Chief Williams I would have. I don't relish losing members of my crew."

Shepard had taken command of the courtroom...Kaidan knew it...the audience knew it...the judge knew it. Even Crawley knew it, but she was not about to be out done.

Cooly and without any evidence of being rattled she continued questioning.

"So there was nothing personal in your decision to save Kaidan Alenko?" she asked.

"No." Shepard looked Crawley in the eye refusing to lower her gaze. The two women were locked in a battle of wills.

"Did you make any decision while serving aboard the SSV Normandy based on a personal bias toward Kaidan Alenko or anyone else on that ship at the cost of lives?" the prosecutor drilled.

"No, I did not."

Kaidan could tell Shepard was getting annoyed.

"Come on Shep, don't let her rattle you." Kaidan's whispers fell on deaf ears. Shepard couldn't hear him.

Crawley began to pace again...this time shaking her head in disbelief.

"She's playing to the cameras," Kaidan whispered again.

"No Joke," Joker whispered back.

They both continued to watch with rapt attention.

Crawley laughed a little and again shook her head with disbelief.

"Ms. Shepard, Did you make a habit of sleeping with the personnel under your command?"

"Objection!" the defense attorney interjected.

"Overruled!...Answer the question Ms. Shepard," the judge instructed.

"No, I did not."

Kaidan could see it...she was coming undone. If his curiosity hadn't overruled him he would have turned away. He didn't desire to see the woman he loved torn apart right before his very eyes.

"So Commander Alenko was lying then...you didn't have sexual relations with him."

A lump formed in Kaidan's throat. What if she denied him? Shepard wasn't the type to lie, but if he meant nothing to her, why put herself through the torture of paying for something that happened years ago. She could end a lot of this right now simply by calling him a liar.

Shepard furrowed her brow and closed her eyes, "He wasn't lying."

The court broke out in a chorus of mumbling chatter.

"Order...order in this court!"

The judge was having to shout above the growing volume.

"So what exactly are you saying Ms. Shepard...that Commander Alenko was the only one you broke regulations with?"

Crawley was gunning for sensationalism...it was written all over her face...in her body language. Her one and only job was to drag Shepard through the mud.

"Yes, he was the only one...and it wasn't some tawdry affair like you and that media circus out there are trying to make it out to be!"

Shepard's hands were now balled up into fists and shaking. Kaidan knew she was on the verge of punching the woman in the face.

Crawley's expression changed as though a light had gone off.

"You were in love with him...Ms. Shepard are you still in love with him?"

Kaidan knew where this was leading...the commentator had said it all. If any present connection could be proven between him and Shepard then they were going to link the two of them together as working for Cerberus. The whole thing was a set-up...a witch hunt...but despite the fact he knew where it would lead...he wanted to know the answer.

"Yes, I'm still in love with him," Shepard answered quietly.

Kaidan bowed his head and smiled. It made everything worth while.

"Que the waterworks...Kaidan Alenko has gone all mushy again," Joker feigned wiping his eyes, "Can't you two just get to the good stuff...my documentary collection has been a little barren lately."

"If you make any more of those vids of me and Shep, the next time I'll take them to her rather than burn them." Kaidan chided. He had neglected to inform Joker that Shepard already knew.

"You wouldn't," Joker said.

Kaidan just stared at him.

"Aww that's no fair...the only other copies I had were destroyed when the Normandy went down"

"You had more than one copy?" Kaidan asked, shocked.

"Yeah, different angles too," Joker admitted.

"One of these days I really am going to kill you, Joker, " Kaidan muttered.

"You won't and you know it...everybody loves Joker...even you,"

Kaidan just shook his head.

"Commander Alenko...I've lost reception. The interference has become too strong. We have incoming." Kaidan wondered if EDI could actually feel things...the tone of her voice seemed filled with urgency.

"Incoming what?" asked Joker.

"Reapers." answered EDI, "They're...positioned strategically around the planet...one bearing down directly on top of the base...10 minutes till contact."

"Crap!" Joker exclaimed.

"Where's our fuel?" asked Kaidan.

"Complete," EDI answered.

"Lock down?"

"Lock down canceled...ship is ready to go," EDI replied.

Kaidan began to worry...everything was ready but one thing...Shepard was not on board.

"EDI is there anything you can do...to get Shepard here?"

"The interference is too strong. Except for on board communication everything is out."

The ship shook...the sound of a strong blast could be heard echoing a short distance away.

"Damn, sounds like they took out the ground artillery," Kaidan muttered.

"What are we gonna do?" Joker looked at Kaidan expectantly as though he would have the magic answer. There was only one thing he could think to do.

"I have to go and find her," Kaidan said.

"Commander, there is not enough time to reach her and return. It's not advisable." EDI stated.

"Like we didn't see that coming...any other ideas?" Joker asked somberly.

"We get the hell out of here!"

Commander Shepard was standing on the bridge.

"How..." Joker began.

"The trial recessed and Anderson brought me back to the ship...he's in the med bay with Chakwas right now. He sustained a few cuts after that blast...are we going or not?"

Shepard was in her element...this was what she was made for.

"Aye Aye, Commander," Joker grinned as he and EDI took the Normandy into the open sky...it wasn't long before she had cleared the path of the reapers bearing down on earth.

"Hey, Commander...what's the plan?" Joker yelled.

"We need to find help...for starters take us to the citadel."

"Aye aye, Commander," Joker said loudly...then more softly," Great...I can hear it now...Earth is under attack?...Ahh yes, we have dismissed those claims."

The comment ushered in a small grin from Kaidan that turned into a smile as he saw Shepard turn her attention his way for the first time. She too was smiling.

"Kaidan," she nodded.

"Commander," Kaidan replied back.

"I thought if you were interested we might play a little poker tonight...my quarters...that is if you're up to it." The twinkle in her eyes was undeniable.

"I'm up to it if you are...just know this...I have every intention of winning." Kaidan face lit up and he found it hard to tear his gaze away from her.

"I'm counting on it, Commander Alenko...I'm counting on it."

Kaidan approached her and kissed her gently on the lips.

"A few minutes then?" he asked.

"Why wait...we can go now," she said.

"I have something I have to do first," he answered.

"It's been two years!...what could be so damn important!" Shepard looked at him incredulously.

"I have to check your quarters for cameras," he explained.

"What?"

Kaidan walked to the elevator calling back to Shepard, "Just...trust me...see you in a few."

Shepard looked from the elevator to the cockpit.

"Joker!"


End file.
